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CONCACAF Champions League Preview: Impact eye historic final

Montreal Impact are 90 minutes away from becoming the first Canadian team to reach the CONCACAF Champions League final.

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Written BySacha Pisani

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Montreal Impact coach Frank Klopas is braced for an Alajuelense
onslaught as the MLS outfit bid to preserve their first-leg
advantage and qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League final.

The Impact hold a two-goal buffer heading into Tuesday's return
semi-final leg after Ignacio Patti and Victor Cabrera inspired the
Canadians to a 2-0 victory at Stade Olympique in Montreal on March
18.

Only one other MLS franchise - Real Salt Lake in 2010-11 - have
made an appearance in the Champions League final but no team from
Canada have progressed so deep into the tournament.

The Impact are in pole position to qualify for the two-legged
decider to be played on April 21 and 29 but Klopas is wary of the
Costa Rican giants on home soil at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto -
where they have only lost four of their past 32 fixtures in all
competitions.

"We have some guys that are fast. But at the end of the day,
[Alajuelense] are the team that has to come out and push the game
to score," said Klopas, who has acquired John Smits on loan from FC
Edmonton to provide backup for goalkeeper Evan Bush for the second
leg.

"We can keep the game at 0-0, and we go through. We have to
manage the game. We know they're going to come out hard. They're
playing at home, with their atmosphere.

"We just have to be mentally ready and be prepared for a fast
start for them."

Fatigue should be no excuse for the Impact, who were excused
from MLS competition over the weekend with the league rescheduling
their fixture against New York Red Bulls to October 7.

"I think that it's good that the league was able to move the
game," Klopas said.

"It would be hard, because some of the injuries we have right
now, playing in the two tournaments, it's not that easy.

"It's good. We can really prepare, get some guys the extra rest
they need to make sure they're really ready and sharp to go."

Should the Impact make it through to the final, they are likely
to face another Costa Rican opponent, with Herediano on the verge
of qualifying in Mexico City on Wednesday.

Herediano stunned Mexican powerhouse America 3-0 in a fiery
encounter on March 17.

America were put to the sword after Michael Arroyo was red
carded early at Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero, with Herediano
piling on three unanswered goals in the second half via Esteban
Ramirez, Yendrick Ruiz and Jonathan Hansen.